Tennessee Titans 2015 Season Preview

Tennessee Titans

2014 record: 2-14

O/U: 5.5

Off Season overview

The Titans ended the 2014 season about as close to rock bottom as you can get, and the bright news is the only place to go is up! Fortunately the Titans have a strong draft class coming in and that is the smartest way to rebuild a franchise. It also may be a bit slower than signing some vets and seeing what you have, but with a roster so bare, it at least shows potential growth into 2016. The big move the Titans made was adding Brian Orakpo. Orakpo is an outside linebacker with game changing ability, but having missed 50% of his teams’ games in the past three seasons there is a reason some of the other good teams passed on him for other options. Orakpo still has time to get back to his old self, but it is tough to put all your chips in his basket and he may be the best name on the defense. Da’Norris Searcy joins him as a new defensive starter, and while Searcy is no slouch, he is an average to slightly above average player at best. The team also added veterans Harry Douglas, and Byron Bell to help with the offense, but saw losses to Nate Washington, Michael Oher, and former all pro Michael Roos at the two positions respectively. Aside from the draft you can call this Titans off-season a tale of lateral moves, but of course it will be their new #2 pick QB who will be responsible for creating a buzz that brings free agents to Tennessee.

Offensive Strength

Without even taking one career NFL snap is Marcus Mariota the most important piece of the offense. I don’t even think that is a question and it is a resounding yes. Mariota was not my favorite prospect, and it is mainly because I don’t see his ceiling being all that high, but I do believe he can be a starting NFL quarter back and should do so right away. As the talking heads have loved to tell us through training camp Mariota hardly makes mistakes and that is a positive no matter how you spin it. I have heard comparisons to Alex Smith recently and the more I watch the more I like the comparison. The Titans should not look to Mariota to carry the team, but more so look for him to manage the team to a winning record. Unfortunately the pieces are not in play for this rookie to win right away, and I would just look deeper into this draft to find pieces he can build around. The drafting of Jalston Fowler and David Cobb in consecutive rounds is all I need to know about where this offense is going. I expect the I formation to be the comfort zone and would expect power running to lead play action bootlegs for the mobile QB. Fowler is a “no nonsense” full back in a league that forgot they existed and Cobb is a strict power runner, who will love running behind Fowler. The draft also added their potential future playmaker in Dorial Green-Beckham and in two years from now we may be looking back at that draft as one that has shaped the Titans for years to come. Green-Beckham has character concerns, and hasn’t played organized football for over a year, but when he did he had first round talent, and super star size. “DGB” will have to earn the coaches trust up the depth chart, but hopefully in 2015 he gets a chance to play next to Kendall Wright. Wright has averaged 112 targets a season since his rookie campaign, but only has one year in which he amassed 1,000 yards. In 2012 I thought Wright had a lot to prove to earn his first round status, but by becoming a high end slot wide out who has played with 5 different starting quarterbacks over 3 years I believe Wright has earned his keep. Wright has two years left on his deal and the Titans should be using those two years to show him that he can be the veteran guy on a young and up and coming squad. Delanie Walker is another safety net for the young QB who can block for this run heavy offense, and overall the vision is much clearer in year two of Ken Whisenhunts’ run.

Offensive Weakness

Unfortunately year two of his run is also the second year of major offensive line reconstruction. Mike Munchak left the Titans after 2013 and is now an offensive line coach in Pittsburgh. Since his departure his last two O-line draft picks in 2013 are now the staple of the line, and the other three pieces have been shifting. Whisenhunt may have saw the tides turning and drafted Taylor Lewan in the first round of his first draft in Tennessee. Lewan has upside and showed strides in his rookie year, but he is a ways to go from making this Titans line look like it once did when it was the teams strength. Andy Levitre has name value, but has been rumored to be one step slower at age 29, and it is even speculated he is on the rosters’ border. Byron Bell is dueling with a 3rd round rookie for a starting job, and while youth is present at 4/5 of the position, there are still questions at the majority of them. While the team has Cobb and will hope he is the punisher of the future, he currently sits 3rd on the depth chart and oh my is the Titans running back depth chart ugly. I think last year was a good year for the Titans to learn that Bishop Sankey is not an every down back. Sankey may have splash ability, but I was never a fan and his an ugly rookie season, which featured a 3.7 ypc helped my point. Dexter McCluster is a splash player by the definition, but he is really only good for 3-4 touches a game. As I mentioned the youth movement is on and it is sprinkled across the offense, but I would bet that this is a year for finding out who these young bucks are, and not a year when they all come together and turn the team around.

Defensive Strengths

I don’t know what to make of the team hiring Dick LeBeau as a defensive assistant. On one hand, LeBeau is a former mentor of DC Ray Horton and the two can combine what they both know, and run a similar scheme together. On the other, if the protégé can never shake the master, is the protégé really ready for the bright lights? Horton took over a defense with no direction, and honestly there is still little to see going into year two. The team is in a mode of shifting from a 4-3 to 3-4 and the pieces need to be right hence the signing of Orakpo. 3-4 defenses live off of pressure from the OLB position, and Orakpo can do just that if healthy. Across from him is Derrick Morgan, who the Titans once drafted to be a defensive end, but now is in year two of learning the difference between DE and OLB. Morgan will more than likely spend most of his time rushing the passer, and isn’t a force in coverage but the two combined at least gives the team something to work with. Tennessee was middle of the road at getting to the quarterback last year, but that is still their strength as they were ugly in most other situations. The defensive line isn’t exactly poor and can create space for the pass rushers; they just need to be consistent when it comes to getting home.

Defensive Weakness

You can argue that due to depth and lack of experience the pass rush could be a weakness of the teams as well. The Titans were slightly better against the pass than the rush last season and I think the pass rush may have had help in that regard, but at the same time both units were below average. The Titans ranked 29th against the rush and I am unsure how much better they will be in 2015. Jurell Casey is the best player on the defensive line but he seems to be carrying the rest of his crew at times. Casey was able to amass a career high in tackles but saw his sack totals fall from 10.5 to 5 this season. I would say the scheme change is the reason for the lack of sacks, and now his job is more to clog holes and stop the run. While he has done that the Titans need anyone to help, and NT Sammie Hill starting his season on the PUP doesn’t help that fact. Behind the big lineman is a weak inside linebacker core led by Wesley Woodyard. Woodyard was unable to start in Denver for six seasons, and with his big chance in 2015 he proved that he is a rotational guy in a good defense. Behind him is a lot of questions, and behind the position is a questionable secondary. Finishing 26th against the pass isn’t an accomplishment, but the team did little to improve or even adjust the unit. George Wilson and Bernard Pollard leave and Da’Norris Searcy comes in for what at best is considered a lateral move. Perrish Cox and Jason McCourty would be strong #2 corners on a good team, but both are in a position to be fighting for the top corner on the team and I am sure McCourty should win, but it just isn’t something to be happy about for Tennessee fans. McCourty is now out for the start of the season, and the bare depth behind him shows them getting torched early this season. Michael Griffin has brought consistency as the over the top free safety but this unit is just so average it is hard to get excited about it. I do think the defense should be better, my question however is just how much better will a 29th ranked defense get?

Where do they rank? O/U 5.5

Coming off of two wins the bar is somewhat high expecting this team to get to six wins to eclipse the over. As I mentioned I see this team as better, and with direction but not in a big way. Two road games to open the season in Tampa and in Cleveland will tell us exactly where this team will be heading this year. While I could see them winning both games, I think the wins would only be getting this team to a 6-win mark. With a rookie QB on the road it is tough to give them those two wins no matter the opponent, and I think they are good tests to help Mariota get his feet wet. Overall I think it will be hard for them to finish above third and I think they finish behind both Houston and Indianapolis this year. Ken Whisenhunt has averaged four wins per year in his last four seasons as an NFL head coach. While I could see this team peaking at six wins, I think four is a good number, and will look to bet this team under in terms of 2015 wins. A two game improvement with this roster is worth watching as this team gets another high pick to add to the core.

Parkers Picks: 3rd in the AFC South, Under 5.5 wins

Logans Picks: 4th in the AFC South, Under 5.5 wins